Chapter 1 Flashcards
old regime (ancien régime)
The old regime is a political and social system used in France where an absolute monarchy was practiced during the 15th to the 18th century
divine right
The divine right is the right which some of the rulers or governors claim that they received the right to rule directly from God.
absolutism/absolute monarchy
A form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own powers. The rulers have absolute power to rule the people. In France, they pass their power through direct generations.
the Glorious Revolution of 1688
England moved from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy, in which monarchs’ power were limited. However, France strengthened its absolute monarchy in the country.
state vs. nation
A state is an organized political group that occupies a definite territory and has a government. A nation is a group of people with common culture, sense of identity, and political stand.
Louis XIV
He is an ancient French King who was using his power to strengthen his monarchy power through the construction of the palace at Versailles.
“L’etat c’est moi”
It means “I am the state.” This is a straightforward claim by the Sun King, to claim the absolute power from an individual.
Versailles
It is a city locate ten miles south of Paris. It was meant to reflect the grandeur of the Sun King and to facilitate his centralizing policy. Versailles became the symbol both of the power of the king and of France.
What are the Three Estates, and what portion of the population was comprised by each?
The First Estate is the clergy who enjoyed their high status by virtue of their spiritual function and proximity to God. They were less than 1% of the population.
The Second Estate is the nobility who provided military support for the king. They were about 1% and 2% of the population.
The Third Estate is the remaining 97% of the population, who were responsible of the production of goods and services.
mercantilism
An important economic policy, which held that a nation’s wealth and power could be enhanced by the accumulation of precious metals like silver and gold.
the bourgeoisie
It means “town-dweller”, which describe the middle classes in capitalist society.
the Enlightenment
The eighteenth-century philosophy movement where people started to emphasize reason, individualism, and human rights.
Immanuel Kant
A German philosopher who wrote that enlightenment is “man’s emergence from his self-incurred immaturity” “Immaturity” is the inability to use one’s own understanding without the guidance of another.”
“Sapere aude!”
It’s the motto of the Enlightenment in Kant’s words, which means “Have courage to use your own understanding.”
Voltaire
A French Enlightenment philosopher
John Locke
The principal forerunner of the Enlightenment
Philosophes
The intellectuals of the 18th century Enlightenment.
Montesquieu
One of the great political philosophers of the Enlightenment. He developed the idea of the separation of powers. He criticized absolutist government, satirized the reign of Louis XIV, and the church.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
He claimed about natural rights and popular sovereignty.
social contract
It is an agreement negotiated between the people and the government
the Encyclopedia
The most important publication of the French Enlightenment
Denis Diderot
The coeditor of the Encyclopedia
Adam Smith
He argued that government interference in the economy violated the interplay of natural forces of competition and supply and demand.
laissez-faire
It means “Let do”, a system in which the government abstained from interfering in the economy.
